Flangeway-guard for highway-crossings.



APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

NORRIS PETERS C0. PHDTO LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

WALTER s. NEWHALL', on CLEVELAND, OHIO.

t FLANGEWAY-GUARD FOR HIGHWAY-CROSSINGS'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 19, 1914. Serial No, 873,040. 2

To all whom, it may concern Beit known that I, WALTER S. NEWHALL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flangeway- Guards for Highway-Crossings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to foot guards on' railways and more particularly to foot guards adapted to provide a protected flangeway in the space usually left between the running rail and the planking provided at highway crossings and station platforms to level the space between the tracks to approximately the height of the rail. This device is a modified form of the fiangeway guard shown and described in my application No. 833,056, filed April 20th, 1914..

An object of this invention is to provide a durable and efficient securing -means at the ends of a footguard unit adapted to cooperate with securing means on an adjacent unit and so prevent accidental displacement when the footguard is installed in the track.

Other and moreispecific objects will become apparent in the following description in connection with the drawings, and the essential characteristics are set forth in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my device, theright hand portion being a section on the longitudinal center line; Fig.2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing also the adj acent planking; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end portions of two coacting units of my foot guard showing the locking devices on the bottom, the devices being tipped on edge for better illustration.

Referring to the drawings by reference numeral; 10 represents the usual running rail supported on a tie plate 11, carried on the tie 12, and secured thereto by the usual spikes 13, which are adapted to extend through the tie .plateinto the tie. The usual planking provided to level the space between the tracks to substantially the level of the tracks is shown in Fig. 2, and the plank 14 is spaced away from thehead of the running rail to provide a clearance-for the flange 15 of the wheel 16, shown in dot and dash lines. In this space the foot guard20 is adapted to be inserted and thus provide a protected flangeway. Using the embodiment shown, it

is advantageous to have the shim 18, usually provided between the planking 14 and the top of the tie,run parallel with the planking for reasons hereinafter described.

. The foot guard consists of a horizontal trough-shaped plate 21, having its upwardly extending side portions terminating in outwardly extending shoulders, one of which 22, abuts the under side of the, rail head, and the other 23, being horizontal and adapted to aline with the top of the planking At intervals along the length of the plate 21, I provide webs 25, the same being preferably cast integrally with the plate and extendingtransversely of the same on its under side.

The edge of this web nearest the rail, substantially fits the contour of the web of the rail, and bears on a portion of the flange of the same as at 29, being cut away as at 26, to

provide a clearance for the spikes 13. To provide clearance for bonding wires, etc., which are usually carried along the central portion of the web of the rail, the edge of the web 25 is preferably cut away opposite this point forming an opening as at 27.

The outer edge 30 of the web 25, abuts the edge of the plank 14, thereby preventing lateral displacement of the footguard when the plank has been fastened in place by suitable means, as for example spikes 19 The bottom of this edge is widened to form a lug 31, adapted to extend in under and engage the under side of the plank 14; and be supported in a pocket formed in the shim 18. This lug being embraced between the cross ing planking 14 and the shim 18 provides against the foot guard being shifted vertically from its position'when once-properly installed, while also giving an auxiliary support to this edge in the event the plank 1 1 should warp out of shape.

On the under side atone end of the plate,-

21, I have provided a tongue 35 projecting downwardly and then outwardly and terminating in an upwardly extending rib 36 adapted to engage a groove 37 on the end of an adjacent unit and thereby prevent longitudinal displacement of the foot guard when in position. As shown, this groove is formed between a projecting lug or rib 38 and the Patented Mar. 9,1915.

downwardly depending leg 39 of an L shapedbracket 40, formed on the under side of the plate 21. "The outwardly extending leg 41 of the depending bracket 40, passes beneath the rib '38, there being sufficient clearance to accommodate the tongue 35.

whenthe same has been placed in position and thereby prevent a vertical movement of one unit with regard to another in either direction,when once assembled. On the side of the depending bracket 40, away from the rail, is provided a web e2 connecting the outwardly extending legal and the troughshaped plate portion 21 of the foot guard.

It will be seen that after the device is as sembled by sliding the tongue into the bracket 40, anymovement in any direction (except the reverse of that used to assemble the parts) is 1)I8V6D.t6l,flfll this tends to insure the alinement of the various units of the foot guard even if the surrounding parts of the crossing should be warped or distorted by reason of the action of frost, etc. W'eep holes 45 have been provided. at intervals along the trough-shaped portion 21, to prevent any accumulation ofwaterin the guard.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A foot guard adapted to fit between a rail and an adjacent plank having a troughshaped surface forming a .flangeway and having a transverse web portion, one edge abutting the under side of the rail head and the upper face of the flange and formed to bear against the webimmediately below the head and immediately above the flange and having a cut-away portion at the center of.

this edge, the other edge of said web'portion being formed to bear against the vertical edge of the plank.

2. A foot guard adapted to fit between a rail and an adjacent plank having a troughshaped surface forming a fiangeway and having a transverse web portion, one edge abutting the under side of the rail head and conformingv to the shape of-the web and resting on the flange of the rail and having a cut-away portion at the center of this edge,

said web being, provided at the opposite edge with a projection to: extend beneath the plank.

3. The combination with a rail and a plank adjacent thereto and substantially parallel therewith, of a foot guard comprising a longitudinal member having a troughshaped upper surface and having a transverse web portion adapted to be supported by the base of the rail at one side and adapted to bear against the edge of the plank at the other side and having a projection extendingin under the plank adapted to be supported by the filler beneath the plank.

4. A foot guard adapted to fit between a rail and an adjacent plank having a troughshaped upper surface forming a fiangeway and having a transverse web portion resting on the base of the rail and abutting the edge of the plank and having a projection extending in under the plank, said projec- Gopies of this, patent maybe obtained. for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner oLPatentstion being wider than the web portion and adapted to rest on the fillerbeneath :the plank.

5.'The combination, with: a rail and ian adjacent plank, of aplurality of alinedfoot guards in the space between the rail andthe plank, said adjacentafoot. guards being provided withmeans interlocking with another for preventing upward. movement ofeither foot guard with reference to the-other.

6. The combination, with a rail and anadjacent plank, of a plurality of alined foot I guards in the space between the rail and the plank, adjacent foot guards beingprovided with means interlocking with one another forpreventing outward movement. of one foot guard with reference to theother.

7. The combination, with a pair of troughshaped foot guards-adapted to be mounted end to end, of a ribland an L-shaped bracket carried by one foot guard and providing a space between them, and a hooked :tongue intothe space between the rib and bracket.

8. The combination of trouglrshaped foot guards adapted to aline, a-rib on onefoot.

guard, a cooperating hooked tongueon the adjacent foot guard adapted to interlock hook-shaped tongue on the adjacent foot guard adapted to enter the space between:

the rib and bracket and abut'against the said web. 7

10. The combination, with a rail and adjacent planking spaced therefrom, awplurality of foot guards adapted to aline and occupy such space, said foot guards being. provided with ad acent interlocking ClQVICGS; and each foot guard comprising a trougln shaped top plate and a transverse web'projecting downwardly from the top plate and formed to abut the-base and under side of the head of the rail and having an opening;

opposite the middle of the rail web, and provided with means projecting; beneath such planking and resting upon a supporting shim below the planking.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses WALTER S. NEVVHALL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES,

ARCHER W1 RICHARDS.

Washington, D. 0.?

on-the other foot guard adapted to he slid 

